The last time a quake struck Oregon was over 310 years ago. Experts predict that another could happen any year now. So when the next big earthquake rolls through Portland, how prepared for our town's destruction will you be? The Oregon Red Cross, the city of Portland and Multnomah County are holding a series of events at the end of September that will help get you better prepared for an earth shaker and other natural disasters that could befall our area. At 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 20 at Chapman Elementary, 1445 NW 26th Ave., earthquake guru James Roddey, from the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries, will lead a discussion on what will happen when the Big One hits (hint: experts say it could likely be bigger than the recent Haitian and Chilean earthquakes combined). In addition, the following presentations are free and open to the public. Seating may be limited. • Thursday, September 23: 12:00-1:00 pm. Beyond 3 Days St. John's Library, 7510 N. Charleston Ave., Portland, OR 97203. Everyone should prepare their household to be self-sufficient for at least 72 hours immediately following a disaster. This workshop will help you prepare beyond the basic three days in the event of extended service outages. • Friday, September 24: 12:00-1:00pm. A Quake-up Call for Multnomah County presented by James Roddey. Multnomah County Board Room 100 501 S.E. Hawthorne Blvd., Portland, OR 97214 James Roddey, an expert on Northwest geologic hazards, will talk about the very real threat of a catastrophic earthquake in the Pacific Northwest. • Thursday, September 30: 12:00-1:00 pm Culturally-Specific Communications and Diverse Populations in an Emergency Multnomah Building, Oak Room (4th floor room 430), 501 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, OR 97214. Learn how responders and communities can work together to meet the disaster-related needs of diverse populations.